STAFF A-D

Below is an alphabetical list of Staff - if you can help me complete any information on it please click on this link to get in touch.

Details of Music teachers are listed separately

_ADAMS Mr Harry (1922-?)
Drawing Master

ANDERSON Mr D H (1958 - ?)

ATHERTON Peter   (see Music Teachers)

AUSTIN Mr J W (see Music Teachers)

BAKER Mrs Dianne (1990s)
Cook

BAILEY Miss J E (1938-39)

BALDWIN Elizabeth (?late 1960s/early 197s?)

BARBER Mr (1974-75)

BARNESBY Ethel G Miss (1909-1946) 
Also known as ‘Miss Ethel’ and latterly as 'Tettie'_
Tettie started as Dan’s nurse, as her sister Margaret was the school Matron. 
When she retired the 1946 magazine recorded that her “service was given absolutely without stint, and almost without pause, for she hardly ever seemed to stop working”
Over the years she did many other things and for a production of The Waterbabies in 1921 in addition to dressing the boys she was also the prompter.
On wet Sunday afternoons Tettie would read to the boys.
 

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Acording to the Spring 1947 magazine “Tettie” originally came to Aymestrey for a week-end visit to her sister and … that weekend lasted for 37 years.

no button that she sewed on for me ever came off!

_ BARNESBY Margaret Eleanor Miss (1909 - ?)
The original Matron.  Tettie’s younger sister.

_ BARNETT Mrs  (1976-1998)
Came initially as Assistant Matron, and has been herself matron for the last three years.  In fact she has worn many hats, including latterly doing a little work in the classroom. (1998 magazine)

_ BARNWELL Tim (1972/3)
Taught Rugby

_ BEARD Mrs Margot
At the 1983 Old Aymestrey Association meeting she was given honorary membership in recognition of her services to the School and the support she had given as Secretary to successive Headmasters over many years. (1984 Magazine)

_ BEARD N  (Autumn 1968)
Taught Geography

BELL Ian  (1984-5 and 1997-1998)
Taught Games, Geography, Geometry and latterly, History.  In 1984, in two terms he put us on the map locally with table tennis and it was wonderful to have him back again to teach the games. (1998 magazine)

_ BENNETT Mrs (1990-1998)
Taught gym, junior games, tennis, swimming athletics and cross country for eight years, with excellent results.  Recently she has also taught junior History and Geography. (1998 magazine)

_ BENTLEY Mr A J (1952 - ?)
Joined in 1952 after many years at King’s Worcester

BIRD Mr S W H (1926-1927)
Took Drill

BIRKS Mr P B H  (1960 - 1961)
Old Boy 1949-1955.  Went on to Oxford

BOOTH Julian (late 1960s)
Cook

BOUGHTON William (see music teachers)

_ BOWERS Mr B L (1925-?)
Oliver Philpot (1925-27) remembered him singing  “Good Old Aymestrey” at Bust-up. (Spring 1959)

BOWLEY Mrs Lyn (1990s)
Domestic staff

BRAILEY Miss (pre 1920)
is working for the St Dunstan’s After-Care Committee.  She was in Hull when we heard last from her. (1920 magazine)

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_ BRIGHTON Lt-Col L L (1959-1965)
Col Brighton died in October 1969. 
He was painstaking and thorough, and everything he did was organized with meticulous efficiency.  Not a man to put up with any nonsense or to suffer fools gladly, he nevertheless bore no malice and had a vast fund of patience and simple kindliness, so that few men have inspired more affection throughout the school.  From Aymestrey he went to teach at Winterfold House, where he died, as he would have wished, in harness.  All those who knew him will recall him with warmth and gratitude. (1970 magazine)

(He) was well-travelled and had been in Australia.  When I was about to leave in 1960 to go there he told me about his time there (Andrew Gosling 1956-1960)

_ BROWN Mrs (~early 1940s)
Theo Christophers (1940-1945) remembers her doing the washing up.

BULLARD Miss D (1958 - ?)
Assistant Matron

BULLOCK Mrs (?-1976)
Assistant Matron

BURNS Miss   See Music Teachers

_ BUTLER Miss L E (1958 - 1960)
Matron

CALLOW Mrs Hazel (1990s)
Domestic staff

CASH Marcus 1976-1984
came for a year … stayed for 8 (1985 magazine).  He was the driving force behind the development of the assault course.  He went from Aymestrey to the Cheshire Regiment, then in 1986 spent time as Chief Instructor on Ru’a Fiola.

_CHANDLER John  (1971/72) 
Old Boy 1956-61
When I left University in 1971 I was not sure whether I wanted to make teaching my career.  I decided to try out the profession so I rang Hugh on the off-chance that he might know of a school in the area that needed a member of staff for a year.

_Hugh offered me a job – provided I helped with the grass cutting and I was to teach Science and Geography and help with games.

CHATTIN Mr M T (1958-1959)
Went on to Oxford
I remember him as young and very enthusiastic and especially for his lively production in 1959 of Bernard Shaw's play "Androcles and the Lion" on the tennis court to a large audience of boys,staff, and parents. The production is described in the Aymestrey Magazine, Summer 1959 p.6-7. All of us acting in it and the audience seemed to enjoy the play which was treated very much as a comedy. (Andrew Gosling 1956-1960)

CHILD Miss Alice Margaret (1929-35)
Took Wolf Cubs; and visited in 1939

Miss Child, 1932

_ CHRISTOPERS Mrs (1970s)
Cook

CLEARY Henry (1970)
Taught Geography and Art
Although he was only with us for two terms he had quite an impact because of his humour and enthusiasm. Noted for his interest in steam trains, and his Irish accent.  He wrote a spoof of a news programme for the end of term entertainment show, performed by the fifth form, & another on University Challenge.
(Des Knox 1966-1970)

CLEMANS (1963-1965)

COBBOLD Mr Felix Rudolph (1931-?)
Produced the 1931 Christmas magazine on the ‘new Gestetner Machine’

_CONCHE Miss Anne (1968 - ?)
Taught French

COURTENAY-DUNN  (see DUNN)

CRADOCK Mrs M (1951-?)

CRANE Mrs (? Late 1960s)
Cook

COWELL Mrs Margaret (1990s)
Domestic staff

DAMSEL Mr (~1914)
Taught drawing.

_ DARLINGTON Arnold (1976-1986)
The following tributes appeared in the 1986 magazine.

    Long before he retired from being head of Biology at Malvern College, Arnold promised to come and teach at Aymestrey, and in 1976 he arrived.  His very special brand of teaching, and his unique attitude to boys, combined with the immense depth and breadth of his knowledge galvanized all with who he came into contact.  He had a great gift for lecturing on subjects as diverse as the mass suicide at Masada, St Francis of Assissi and Dutch Elm disease.  He illustrated his lectures with slides he made himself – he was a superb photographer – and punctuated them with gifts of Mars Bars to the knowledgeable!
    He wrote many biological books, some for children, and was a world authority on galls.
    He died suddenly and peacefully – the way he would have wanted to go, but how we all miss him.  Aymestrey is deeply grateful to a true friend.  (DHG)

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Mr Darlington always said, “I can never stick to a syllabus”, and he demonstrated his philosophy often by being willingly sidetracked.  No lesson of his would be complete without a few ‘red herrings’ – stories of events which had happened earlier in his career.  It was these amusing stories that made the lessons enjoyable and his teaching fired in us an enthusiasm for the subject.  I remember desperately trying to perfect my prep. And score the ‘golden 19’.  The climax of each term was the M R James or Edgar Allan Poe ghost story.
I feel honoured to have known such a kind and fascinating man and shall always remember him. 
(W Rankin 1979-84)

_     Thursdays will never be quite the same again at Aymestrey.  Boys and staff alike looked forward to them as they were ‘D’ days, Darlington days.  At staff break in the hall there would be a loud ‘Hello friend’, as a diminutive small boy, carrying a matchbox or tin, would appear and hover, wanting to ask Arnold some question.
     Arnold had unfailing patience with the young and he would always take time and trouble to answer their questions, however mundane.  Equally his experience was so vast that he could tell one something of interest about nearly every topic that arose.  He was a good judge of character and his advice on most subjects was well worth hearing.  He lived every moment to the full and this was born out by his obvious enjoyment of life, but without his wife Daisy he could never have coped with the tedious details of living.  She was in every sense the support behind the great man.
    He leaves a gap here that is impossible to fill.  To us he was a friend who can never be replaced.  He was a ‘once in a lifetime’ person who seemed immortal. (GSG)

Arnold Darlington

_ To the casual naturalist Arnold was that rare being, a professional who was still at heart an amateur in the true sense – a lover of everything in nature.  Few experts have such enthusiasm that they really love ‘all creatures great and small’, even those that are to most people repulsive.  He had the imagination to try, at least, to see things from the point of view of whatever organism he was dealing with, opening one’s eyes to what it must be like to exist in a world dominated by the sense of smell or touch.  The width of his knowledge was stupendous, and you could go to him for information on the most obscure corners of the natural world, and equally to share appreciation of some aspect of beauty.  All nature was to him a delight, and he was a delight to know. (Dan Asterley)

DAVIES Miss Rose   See Music Teachers

DAVIES Miss (?-1926)
The Easter 1926 Magazine records:
“We hear with very great regret, that Miss Davies is obliged to give up her work here.  She has been doing too much for some time, and her doctor insists that she relinquishes a great deal of her work.  Miss Davies has been a delightful colleague and a marvelous worker with the boys.  We are most grateful to her and hope she will often come and see us.”
It is not clear if this is Miss Rose Davies, or another Miss Davies.  If it is the former she was able to return to work, finally retiring in 1956.

DAY Miss Penny (late 1960s?)
Assistant Matron

deBRIE Mr F G (1950 - ?)
Replaced Mr Franklin
Taught French - 'delicious, delightful, delovely French verbs' was his battle cry (Nick Bomford 1947-1952)

DEW G Roderick  1928
left us in the middle of the term to take up an appointment in Egypt.  We were very sorry to lose him, as he had done so much good work in the school, especially in the coaching and management of the games. (Christmas 1928)

DODDS H R (1920-26)  Died 1968
He joined the resident staff in Malvern, replacing Mr Vicary, and moved with the school to Crown East. 
Mr Dodds played the organ in Crown East Church. 
After he left Aymestrey he became Second Master at Clifton Prep School

In 1921 he ‘accompanied "The Water Babies" on the piano (and) panted painfully and perspired most profusely in the close atmosphere of the “musical cabinet"

It is impossible to describe all that he has done for the School, and for Mr & Mrs Asterley personally.  Besides no end of extra school work, and most enthusiastic help with games and sport ... (he) has run the Magazine in the most successful way, and helped with every musical entertainment that has ever happened.
Summer 1926 magazine

DOUGLAS Miss V H (1938-1948)
Taught First Form
It is with feeling of great regret and real gratitude that we have to say farewell ...  For over ten years "mo" has thrown herself whole heartedly into the life and work of the school.  She never spared herself, doing constantly and ungrudgingly far more than was demanded of her post, from extra supervision to clearing tables, and finding time to play a prominent part in the musical activities of the school.  She carries with her to her new post as head of the kindergarten department of a school in Wiltshire, the good wishes of us all.

Miss Douglas with some of the school, coming back from church, 1940. (Thanks to Theo Christophers)

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DRAPER Mrs Jackie (1990s)
Domestic Staff

_ DRIVER James (1977-1993)
James arrived here straight from university and stayed for sixteen years.  He was an amazingly versatile person, always willing to try his hand at anything new but at the same time when he undertook to do something one knew that it would be done and continued, not abandoned if he himself got tired of it.  During his time here he wrote and produced several plays, made a video film with another member of staff, created a mediaeval maze, restored the rose garden, created a herb garden, got married, put Aymestrey on the map in the cross country world and did many other things that I have not mentioned.  We are sorry to lose him (1993 Magazine)

Printing with Mr Driver (Marcus Cash)

DUDDLES  Di (?late 1980s)
Matron

DUNCAN Miss V (1949-1951)
Assistant Matron

DUNN  (? – 1917)
Joined up in 1917.
While serving with the Derajat Column, on the NW frontier of India, Flight-Officer Courtenay-Dunn and his observer were obliged to make a forced landing in rough country.  They were carrying bombs, and the observer asked whether he should let these go before they descended.  “No,” was the reply, “they would kill some of these people, who are not hostile.  I can get her down all right”.  He nearly succeeded in doing so, but, while they were taxi-ing, a stone exploded one of the bombs.  Both officer and observer were found, in an unconscious condition, by some natives, who did what they could for them.  Later on Flight Officer Courtenay-Dunn was brought into our lines, but died soon afterwards.  (1920 magazine)

DURHAM John 1994-1998
Taught English, French Oral, Religious Knowledge and Public Speaking ….  The latter has been particularly good and all the boys have passed their English Speaking Board exams well, normally with credits but with several distinctions.  In fact, last year the ESB obviously thought our results were too good and there must be something wrong, so they sent two different examiners to monitor the exam.  In fact the marks they gave were better than every!  He will also be remembered, by those who took part, for his brilliant French playlets.(1998 magazine)

_DURWARD Mr G A  (1957) 
Joined the Teaching Staff for Autumn Term 1957.  South African rugby player.